This invention relates generally to methods and systems for washing various types of articles, and in particular, to washing a particular type of article by associated pre-determined cleaning instructions.
Conventional dishwashers use hot water under pressure to both power its spray arms, and also to do the cleaning itself. To be effective, the water has to be sprayed in powerful jets from all directions so that it reaches all the articles. These are then rinsed by jets of clean water before drying.
In the typical dishwasher cycle, water enters through a water softener, which treats the water so that the dishes dry without marks. The water fills the base of the dishwasher. Cleaning chemicals are added which mix with the water. The hot water is pumped by the wash pump to the rotating spray arms. The hot water sprays the dishes and returns to the base of the dishwasher, where it is recycled after being filtered. After washing, the dirty water is pumped out of the dishwasher through a drain. The dishes are then rinsed and dried.
In more advanced systems, one is able to develop a washing process control procedure, which is read and interpreted, and subsequently controls the washing process in accordance with the interpreted washing control procedure. One of the problems with the current programmable systems are that the formulas have to be entered into a system before the washing. This can easily lead to misprogrammed information. Furthermore, this can be a very time-consuming, and therefore expensive operation. This is particularly true with dishwashers that are used in a cafeteria or restaurant setting when ease and efficiency are of the utmost importance in getting articles washed quickly and properly.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing a smart rack and machine method and system wherein a particular type of article to be washed is identified. The type identification is communicated to a processor-controlled cleaning subsystem that washes the article according to the article type""s own pre-determined chemical combination and other cleaning parameters.
In the present invention, an automated cleaning apparatus for cleaning one or more articles associated with an identifier is provided. The cleaning apparatus has a storage device storing an array of pre-determined chemical combinations specifying cleaning chemicals usable in the automated cleaning apparatus. A detector is positioned to detect the identifier associated with the articles or types of articles. A processor is coupled to the detector for selecting from the storage device a chemical combination for washing the articles, based on the detected identifier. A control device is coupled to the processor to deliver chemicals specified by the selected chemical combination. And, a cleaning subsystem is coupled to the processor to clean the articles using the delivered chemicals.
In use, the method for cleaning one or more articles using the automated cleaning apparatus is by providing in the storage device an array of pre-determined chemical combinations specifying cleaning chemicals usable in the automated cleaning apparatus. The identifier associated with the articles or types of articles is detected. Based on the detected identifier, a chemical combination for washing the articles is selected from the pre-determined array. The chemicals specified by the selected chemical combination are delivered to the automated cleaning apparatus. And, the articles are cleaned with the automated cleaning apparatus in accordance with the cleaning parameters from the pre-determined array.
The cleaning parameters may also include a specification of the spray pressures to be used for each article. The spray pressure is controlled, for example, by a pre-determined pump frequency setting, for example, RPMs, or by a manifold valve that diverts water from the sprayer.
While an embodiment of the present invention can be used in an automated cleaning apparatus to clean particular articles with pre-determined chemical combinations, it should be noted that the present invention could be adapted for use on other systems where tagging an article or a category of articles would be beneficial.
In sum, the present invention represents a significant improvement over the prior art automated cleaning apparatus systems in many ways. The automated cleaning apparatus system in accordance with the present invention allows for automated identification of articles or types of articles and the operation of a cleaning sequence with appropriate cleaning chemicals and cycles, and overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. These and various other features as well as advantages, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.